Bridgeport scrutinizing Vazzy’s golf course lease

By Brian Lockhart

Updated
7:36 am EST, Saturday, March 9, 2019

Former Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim, center, stands with his parents Josephine, left, and George Sr.. during a fundraising event for Ganim at Vazzano's Four Seasons in Stratford, Conn., on Thursday Apr. 23, 2015. At right is Ben Walker with Maria Pereira.

Former Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim, center, stands with his parents Josephine, left, and George Sr.. during a fundraising event for Ganim at Vazzano's Four Seasons in Stratford, Conn., on Thursday Apr. 23,

Former Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim, center, stands with his parents Josephine, left, and George Sr.. during a fundraising event for Ganim at Vazzano's Four Seasons in Stratford, Conn., on Thursday Apr. 23, 2015. At right is Ben Walker with Maria Pereira.

Former Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim, center, stands with his parents Josephine, left, and George Sr.. during a fundraising event for Ganim at Vazzano's Four Seasons in Stratford, Conn., on Thursday Apr. 23,

BRIDGEPORT — When he is not hanging out at Democratic Chairman Mario Testa’s North End restaurants, Mayor Joe Ganim can sometimes be spotted at John Vazzano’s popular establishments.

Campaign events. Birthdays. The mayor, his family and supporters are no strangers to Vazzano’s Vazzy’s eateries and Vazzano’s Four Seasons catering hall in Stratford.

But now City Hall and the well-known restaurateur are at odds over the latter’s longtime lease running concessions at Bridgeport’s Fairchild Wheeler golf course.

There are two big questions the sides are grappling with about Vazzy’s 19th Hole restaurant, according to the City Attorney’s Office: Did Vazzano’s lease expire four years ago, and has Vazzano been paying what he should for rent?

Ganim spokesman Rowena White said the matter was recently forwarded to the city attorney by Public Facilities Director John Ricci, who, through White, declined to comment for this story.

Ricci also works behind-the-scenes on Ganim’s campaigns, including helping with fundraising.

Vazzano and his legal counsel met Friday morning with Russell Liskov, a lawyer for the Ganim administration.

“There’s paperwork and we’re going back and forth to see what’s what,” Liskov said, adding Vazzano has been a good tenant who pays rent on time.

The city has been working off of the 2006 lease Vazzano negotiated with then-Mayor John Fabrizi.

Vazzano took over the golf course restaurant in 2002. In 2006, he and the Fabrizi administration agreed to a new contract that ended Dec. 31, 2014, according to that document.

The lease gradually increased Vazzano’s annual $50,000 rent to $65,000, but Vazzano did not have to pay the higher rent until 2012 if he made upgrades to the golf course restaurant.

According to city budget documents, Vazzano is still paying $50,000.

Liskov said Friday that Vazzano maintains he received an additional five-year contract extension from former Mayor Bill Finch through the end of 2019 and has done additional work on Vazzy’s 19th Hole to offset the rent.

Ganim defeated Finch in the 2015 Democratic mayoral primary. In fact, Ganim held his first fundraiser for that campaign at Vazzano’s Four seasons, then hosted a $500-per-head, 56th birthday bash/campaign event at the golf course restaurant right before the November 2015 general election.

“We are reconstructing what happened under the prior administration and hope to have some answers very shortly,” Liskov said.

A financial oversight?

There is actually another outstanding question about the status of Vazzano’s lease at the golf course: Why is the Ganim administration only now scrutinizing the deal?

After defeating Finch in the 2015 primary and winning the election that November, one of Ganim’s first acts as mayor was to aggressively pursue debts he said had been allowed to accrue for other municipal tenants: Webster Bank Arena, the Bridgeport Bluefish minor league baseball team, Captain’s Cove Seaport and the Gathering of the Vibes Music Festival.

Ganim at the time said those attractions were partly to blame for a $20 million deficit inherited from Finch.

Three years later, the city and arena management, the Sound Tigers hockey team, are still trying to negotiate a settlement to their rent dispute.

Vazzano could not be reached Friday for comment. He and his business partner, Lawrence LaConte, and their families have supported Ganim financially, both for this year’s re-election run and for the mayor’s failed 2018 gubernatorial bid.

According to campaign finance reports, Vazzano contributed the $1,000 maximum to Ganim’s 2019 campaign and LaConte also gave $1,000. LaConte, according to the Four Seasons’ website, co-owns that facility and also runs Vazzy’s 19th Hole at the golf course.